Body of woman who saved young swimmer in Delaware River found

DELRAN, N.J. - Police in Burlington County have recovered the body of a woman who went missing in the Delaware River while helping a struggling young swimmer make it to shore on Monday.

What we know:

The body of Priscila Alvares Pereira Dos Santos, who would have celebrated her 34th birthday on Tuesday, was found 20 feet offshore at Amico Island Park just after 8 a.m. Tuesday morning, police reported.

Officers from the Delran Police Department were called to the beach near Norman Avenue just before 4 p.m. Monday for reports of a possible drowning where the Delaware River meets the Rancocas Creek.

Investigators determined that an adult woman entered the Delaware River to save a 9-year-old girl struggling in the water.

The woman successfully pushed the young girl toward the bank, where bystanders pulled the child safely onto the shore, investigators say. However, during the rescue, the woman went underwater and failed to resurface.

What they're saying:

"Priscila died a hero. She saved a little girl," Delran Police Chief Matt Gasper told FOX 29. 

Dos Santos moved to the area from Brazil five years ago and worked cleaning homes to build a future for her family, according to her relatives.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support her husband and two children.

Local officials reiterated that swimming is prohibited in the river due to deep, muddy water and swift, unpredictable currents.

"We enter something like this to have a family fun day. Unfortunately, we don’t always know the dangers," Delran Mayor Barnes Hutchins said. 

What's next:

Officials have not released an official cause of death at this time, and it remains unclear how Dos Santos knew the 9-year-old child she rescued.

Amico Island Park will remain closed for the rest of the day Tuesday as officials wrap up their on-scene investigation.

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